


Sound of Thunder

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Drama, Ficlet, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-10
Updated: 2009-07-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 15:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/126239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie admires Draco's ability to carry on in the face of fear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sound of Thunder

**Author's Note:**

  * For [leela_cat (Leela)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leela/gifts).



"Malfoy!" Charlie pounded on the door and then shoved it open unceremoniously. Behind him lightning streaked across the sky, followed by the grumble of thunder. "Wake up. There's a nest of Hungarian Horntails hatching. We need all the handlers there in case Ági starts to savage them."

Malfoy bolted upright. He was already half-dressed, Charlie noted approvingly; at this time of year one never knew when there would be a night emergency.

"Just let me pull on my leathers." Malfoy grunted, tugging on the dragon hide garments. It was more than a little ironic that they wore the skins of the beasts they worked so hard to preserve, but no other material resisted flame and claw so well, and the leather they wore was tanned from the skins of dragons that had died of old age or by accident.

As they hurried to pick up their broomsticks, falling in with the other handlers that Charlie had already awakened along the way, he noticed that Malfoy flinched at every clap of thunder, and even in the dim moonlight he looked paler than usual.

There was no time to be concerned, however. Ági had begun to turn on her hatchlings as soon as they broke shell, and it took the combined efforts of a dozen witches and wizards to keep her from killing them all, and another pair of humans per hatchling to get them out of the nest and to the veterinary barn. Charlie and Malfoy were among the latter group; the dragonet they saved was the third to hatch, and together they levitated it from the nest and carefully supported it between them, flying in unison toward the distant barn.

Another bolt of lightning flashed, the thunderclap that followed it so loud that Charlie was nearly startled from his broom. The dragonet protested loudly as fat drops of rain at last began to fall. Malfoy was white to the lips, but he flew on unswervingly until they had deposited the hatchling under the supervision of one of the veterinary witches.

"Splendid. No injuries to this one," she complimented them.

Charlie flung an arm around Malfoy's shoulder as they left the barn. "Good work tonight, kid."

Malfoy was trembling, and Charlie asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm... not fond of thunderstorms."

"I see." Charlie tightened his embrace a fraction, and when he felt Malfoy begin to relax against him, a fraction more. "Well, you did great anyhow. Come back to my room and we'll have a drink."

"I'd like that," said Malfoy, and followed him.

**Author's Note:**

> For leela_cat, who wanted Charlie/Draco, thunderstorm. Ági is the Hungarian form of the name Agnes.


End file.
